April 26, 2006

Game One/Game Two

Garden City, N.Y. - The Adelphi pitching staff allowed a combined seven runs on 13 hits in two games against Concordia, helping the Panthers to a split. Adelphi fell, 5-3 in game one, but picked up a 6-2 victory in the second game to improve to 17-17 overall and 13-6 in the NYCAC, while Concordia ends up 22-19 overall and 11-8 in conference action.

Game One
Adelphi Brian Rath (Wantagh, N.Y.) singled home Thomas Cali (Shirley, N.Y.), in the bottom of the third to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead. A batter later, Stephen Malvagna (East Meadow, N.Y.) singled in Ricky Nicholson (Massapequa, N.Y.), pushing Adelphi's lead to 2-0. Joe Maranino (Bronx, N.Y.) drove in Rath on another single to put the Panthers ahead 3-0, going into the fourth inning.

Concordia chipped away at Adelphi's lead, scoring two runs in the top of the fourth, on an RBI double, followed by an RBI single, to pull within one run, 3-2. In the top of the eighth the Clippers drove in the tying run on a double to right center field, and held the Panthers scoreless in the bottom of the inning to enter the ninth knotted at three.

Concordia loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, when an Adelphi error on a fielder's choice allowed two Clipper runs to cross the plate, putting the Panthers in a 5-3 hole. Adelphi was unable to manufacture the necessary runs in the bottom of the inning falling 5-3.

Bobby Lanigan (Staten Island, N.Y.) pitched eight innings, allowing two earned runs and striking out seven.

Game Two
The Panthers jumped on the Clippers early in game two, when Cali scored on a wild pitch in the first, giving Adelphi a 1-0 lead. Concordia bounced back in the top of the second, pulling even on a single to right, but Adelphi pulled ahead again, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second on a Doug Anderson (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) single to right.

However, the Clippers would not lie down, pulling within a run, 3-2, when Panther starter Michael Myers (Wantagh, N.Y.) hit a batter with the bases loaded, allowing a run to cross the plate. Adelphi's offense kept coming, scoring a run in the bottom of the fourth on another Concordia wild pitch to extend their lead to 4-2.

In the bottom of the fifth the Panthers tacked on two more runs when Rath tripled in a run, followed by a sacrifice fly by John Northrop (Watertown, N.Y.) that scored Rath, giving Adelphi a 6-2 cushion.

Myers pitched seven innings, striking out seven to pick up the win.

The Panthers return to action on Saturday, April 29 when they play host to Molloy College at noon.